Bronte Kremerskothen 32233991 Essay 1

Throughout my time on Professional Experience in a primary and secondary setting I

experienced many great opportunities which gave me a better insight into the diverse
roles and responsibilities of the classroom teacher, the differing needs and abilities
of students and encouraged me to develop a good understanding of the function of
schools in Australian society.
Although I was only in each classroom for a short period, I was able to witness the
truly diverse roles and responsibilities encountered by teachers on a daily basis.
Each teachers roles and responsibilities, although many were the same, differed as
a result of the year level/s they were teaching and the school they were a part of. I
am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to experience the two very
different schools and two very diverse teachers and teaching styles, as it enabled me
to view teaching from multiple perspectives.
Each student I interacted with showcased different needs and abilities at any given
time. It fascinated me to watch the true diversity within each classroom and I quickly
developed an appreciation of the unique qualities and capabilities each child brought
to the class. I definitely felt a sense of excitement when I realised I would soon be
entering such a rewarding profession. In saying that, I was also surprised at some of
the levels of difference among students in the same class; some students seemed to
be capable of a whole other level of work while other students seemed to be left
behind. What I was seeing in the classroom, mainly in the primary setting, was a
need for teachers to be responsive to the learners in their class (Groundwater-
Smith et al, 2011, pp.65). This led me to reflect on the roles of schools.
Until now, I had only ever experienced school from a students point of view. During
my time on Professional Experience I was given the opportunity to attend two staff
meetings. Both meetings, although greatly different in their content and the way they
were run, encouraged me to better reflect on the function of schools in Australian
society from a teachers perspective. It is not as simple as I initially thought; it isnt
just about giving children an education, in fact their function is much more. As
discussed in What Schools Do (Reimer, 1971, pp.1), the function of schools can be
categorised into four distinct social functions which include custodial care, social role
selection, indoctrination and education learning. I believe this is an accurate
interpretation of what I observed during my Professional Experience to be the
functions of schools in Australian society.
Overall, I am extremely grateful to have been given the great opportunity of
experiencing life as a teacher in both a primary and secondary setting. I am excited
to know that I have chosen such a rewarding career path and that I now have a
much better understanding of what teaching and being part of a school community
entails. I thoroughly enjoyed both my primary and secondary experience but am
happy with my choice of an Early Childhood and Primary Education degree.



Bronte Kremerskothen 32233991 Essay 1

Reference List:
Groundwater-Smith, S., Ewing, R., & Le Cornu, R. (2011). Teaching Challenges and
Dilemmas (4
th
ed). Australia: Cengage Learning Australia.
Reimer, E. (1971). What Schools do in School is Dead. Ringwood, Victoria: Penguin.